LOWELL -- An acrimonious divorce between two public employees has spilled into the courts, with a Lowell High School health teacher accused of breaking into her ex-husband's home, ransacking it and stealing items.

Meara Kennedy-Golden, 32, whose address is listed in court documents as 22 Parkview Ave., Lowell, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of breaking and entering with the intent to commit a felony and larceny over $250. Kennedy-Golden has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation, Assistant School Superintendent Jay Lang told The Sun.

Meanwhile, Kennedy-Golden's ex-husband, Lowell Police Officer Timothy Golden, also has been placed on paid administrative leave following a complaint from Kennedy-Golden's father about an incident at the Kennedy home on Sunday.

The couple married in 2005 and their divorce was finalized in August. Kennedy-Golden no longer lives in Golden's home. Golden, a former School Committee member, told The Sun he had the locks changed and his ex-wife doesn't have a key.

According to court documents, at 10:20 a.m. on Sept. 26, Lowell police were informed that Kennedy-Golden was at Golden's home in an attempt to remove property from his house. Police found a moving truck parked in the driveway along with three movers loading furniture onto the truck, according to reports.

Kennedy-Golden was with her father, Christopher Kennedy, and a friend, the report states. Kennedy-Golden told police she hasn't lived at the house for several months.

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However, her lawyer allegedly told her she could retrieve some property, she said.

Kennedy-Golden told police that she entered the house through a rear window because she doesn't have a key, according to court documents.

Officers warned Kennedy-Golden that she could be arrested for breaking and entering. Golden told officers he didn't want to press charges until he could check his home, according to reports.

Before entering, Golden asked movers to return several pieces of furniture, which included several chairs and a table, according to reports.

After a quick look inside his house, Golden said he was missing two lamps, a vacuum cleaner, and some pictures. He said his briefcase with financial documents had been rummaged through.

Golden decided to pursue charges against his ex-wife on Oct. 2.

The court file contained photos that show items were strewn about the house.

Golden said that on Wednesday, one day before his ex-wife's arraignment, he was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

Golden told The Sun he was informed that his ex-wife's father contacted Police Superintendent Kenneth Lavallee about a dispute Golden had with his former mother-in-law. Lavallee declined to comment on the matter.

Golden's side of the dispute is that when he went to drop off his 4-year-old daughter at his in-law's house on Sunday, his mother-in-law allegedly "got in my face" and demanded that he drop the criminal case against her daughter.

Believing that his former mother-in-law was trying to threaten him, Golden said he has filed a charge of intimidation of a witness against his former mother-in-law. That complaint is pending.

Meanwhile, after Kennedy-Golden's arraignment in court, she and her parents had a private, sidebar conversation with Judge Thomas Brennan concerning an application for a restraining order against Golden.

The restraining order was not immediately available to the public, so its contents and whether it was granted is not known.

Golden was unaware that his in-laws and ex-wife had sought a restraining order against him in court on Thursday until notified by The Sun. Golden denies doing anything that would justify a restraining order.

A phone message left for the Kennedys was not returned Thursday night, and no one answered their door when The Sun knocked shortly after 7 p.m.

The Sun also found Kennedy-Golden at a home on Birch Street, but she declined comment. Her next court date in the criminal case is Feb. 8 for a pretrial conference.

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